NTT R&D Forum 2024: Day zero
There are big technology conferences where you get lost in the crowd, perhaps CES and Mobile World Congress would be good examples.
Then there are small events – such as those staged by open source database specialists – where just a hundred or so attendees are in the room.
Then there are big events with a small proximity feel… and that’s probably what NTT R&D Forum is.
Known for its heritage as a Japanese industry conglomerate business, the NTT of today is all about bringing together the people, technologies and research (you’ll notice the word ‘research’ rather than ‘processes’ for a change) that contribute to a sustainable society.
NTT R&D Forum is designed to showcase the company’s technologies for research, development and business.
NTT Integral
This year, the 2024 R&D Forum had a special focus on what the company calls IOWN Integral. The IOWN part of that label refers to the company’s Innovative Optical and Wireless Network technology – and the Integral part has two meanings: “integration” and “indispensable.”
The company says it reflects NTT’s commitment to integrating IOWN across a wide range of areas from networks to AI, making it indispensable for realising a sustainable future.
NTT’s Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN, often pronounced aye-own) is a vision designed to enable high-speed large-capacity (often low-power) communication and information processing infrastructures.
Built using technologies that gravitate around the use of photonics, IOWN uses optical technologies to change what used to be electronic connections into photonic connections, increasing transmission speeds and improving responsiveness. NTT’s All-Photonics Network (APN) technologies is a flagship initiative that is very much part of the wider IOWN platform.
Since the announcement of its IOWN vision in 2019, NTT has been steadily advancing the research, development and deployment of this technology. This year we also get more from NTT on AI and ‘tsuzumi’ and discussions and exhibits within this topic area have included AI ethics, AI governance and sustainable AI. Tsuzumi is NTT’s proprietary lightweight and ultra-lightweight LLM developed specifically for energy efficiency, enterprise cost-effectiveness and multimodality).
In networking. This year NTT has focused on wireless networking (i.e. 6G services powered by IOWN), network operations, fixed mobile convergence and network infrastructure. In UI/UX, areas covered within this topic area include Personalized Sound Zone (PSZ) technology, digital representation and research on expanding the five senses to provide new experiences.
Sustainability matters
In sustainability, NTT has focused on energy consumption, carbon neutrality, reducing environmental impact and improving well-being. In research on security infrastructures, the company is looking to enable a safe and secure digital society. This includes research on digital trust, cybersecurity technologies and cryptography. In bio/medical, the focus is on medical technologies, brain science, mental health and physical health.
Plus of course, in photonics & quantum, this area covers research on quantum information science, including photonics, optical computing, quantum computing, quantum communication, sensing etc.
NTT R&D Forum
The 17 ‘star’ exhibits showcases this year included the following.
A digital currency protocol for secure value transfer. This technology enables the secure and safe transfer of values such as currency and securities between two parties by representing them electronically.
Personalized Sound Zone (PSZ) aims to create a personal sound space that allows users to hear only the sounds they want, while suppressing unwanted noise. This exhibit will showcase the evolution of this technology, including new features.
Optical quantum computer
In wellbeing measurement technology, NTT outlined relationships to foster sustainable workplaces and schools. In optical device technologies for optical quantum computing, the company highlighted the emergence of an optical quantum computer with high-performance optical devices. A noninvasive wearable glucose sensor visualises changes in glucose levels during the day and supports the discovery of appropriate diet and exercise habits to prevent increases in blood sugar levels.
As well as a telco impact assessment and countermeasure navigation project, we also saw NTT talk about the evolution of tsuzumi, NTT’s Large Language Model. The technology now has enhanced reading abilities and solves complex tasks on behalf of humans. In generative AI, NTT is applying gen-AI to network technology to advance the efficiency, automation and sophistication of network operations.
Tailor-made security reporting with LLM technology joined what NTT called its “AI constellation approach” i.e. instead of relying on one massive LLM that knows everything, the goal of this technology is to solve large-scale and complex real-world issues, such as social and business problems, by using the collective intelligence of multiple LLMs, each with its own expertise and personality.
“Omotenashi” (hospitality)
A service robot exhibit showcased flexible and smart robots that understand a variety of tasks and realize “Omotenashi” (hospitality). This development is hoped to contribute to solving social issues such as a declining workforce and addressing support for people who require care.
In its efficient utilization of accelerators and connection technologies for Data-Centric Infrastructure (DCI), NTT says it can show how the efficient utilsation of accelerators/low-latency remote connections work in remote locations to reduce cost and reduce power.
IOWN APN/DCI Technologies for cross-border metaverse services enables cross-border users to join a metaverse virtual space to watch holographic shows and interact with each other through the IOWN All-Photonics Network (APN) and data-centric infrastructure (DCI). This demonstrated the feasibility of APN/DCI technologies for cross-border metaverse services between Taiwan and Japan.
As well as a data replication and video production zone, NTT also presented what it calls the future of datacentre exchange to highlight the future of datacentre exchanges enabled by IOWN and the All-Photonics Network.
